MovieChat Forums > Cold Mountain (2003) Discussion > Please please please Nicole, you cannot ...

Please please please Nicole, you cannot act.

posted 18 years ago by zheng_qingq
118 replies | jump to latest

Just finished watching Cold Mountain on DVD. I would've loved to movie to pieces if it weren't for the lovely Nicole Kidman's annoyingly bad performance.

Bless, I love her. She's pretty, she's elegant, she's a strong woman. But she doesn't know how to act (or how to sing, come to think of that). Yet she keeps turning up in all those wonderful movies, destroying each and every one of them. Honestly I can't think of any movie she's in that's good. (She's even gotten an Oscar(!), the reason for which is completely beyond me.)

Please Nicole darling, it's time for you to stop acting.

Cold Mountain, I gave it 5 stars, with much bitterness.

[–] TheTurkish 15 years ago

you're so right man ,she's such a fake

[–] SpikeHat 15 years ago

I agree, OP. BTW, what's the deal with Nicole's many defenders on this thread? I had to stop reading, since they got no basic writing skills; really painful to decypher.
NK can SOMF; thankfully she didn't wreck ColdMt. But-- she was silly in The Hours, just disposable in GoldenCompass, and don't get me started on The Human Stain or The Others. Bleeccchhhh

[–] sfsy1 15 years ago

1 question. did u even watch The Hours?

[–] rosiekinns 14 years ago

I don't think she's a bad actress by any means, but I do think she was miscast. Ada is supposed to be much younger (I think nineteen?), and more aloof, and brunette. Natalie Portman originally auditioned for the role, and I think she would have been a better choice. Inman might have been younger, too, but I can't remember. It's been five years since I read that incredibly boring book.

[–] inasafeplace 14 years ago

I'm sorry but everyone here, including OP is wrong. People perceive good acting where they feel like it is good acting. There's absolutely NOTHING objective about this. People win oscars cause they have a way of acting a lot of people perceive to be "realistic". But you cannot say someone cannot act just cause you perceive the person cannot act, just as you can't say someone is wrong for feeling like someone can't act.

You guys need to grow up.

[–] farzhan 13 years ago

I didn't have a problem with Kidman really. I just hated the story. Killing the guy off and having the women live on to show that women basically are the backbone of any future due to their ability to have children has been done to death.

[–] Ysquare 13 years ago

awards don't mean the world

I fully agree that many actors or actresses win an award purely by chance. With the right role and director even a mediocre actor or actress (if the role is close to her or his own character) can win an award and even an Oscar.

Nicole, however was nominated for three Oscars (one win ... and she also should have won for Moulin Rouge!, Halle Berry didn't deserve it). She also was nominated eight times for the Golden Globe (three wins). All of these were for leading actress. You don't get that many awards by chance.

Apart from that, she has done several daring movies besides major mainstream blockbusters during the height of her career, something only Meryl Streep ever really did .She seems to be lovely as a person on top of that. To me she is one of the best actresses of her generation.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] Rick-34 13 years ago

Nicole Kidman can act but there are certain types of roles that she specializes in. She does the pampered, ineffectual woman fairly well, but I think she's a bit better when the role calls for a bit more sophistication and edge. I still think her best role was in To Die For. Her performance in Cold Mountain is reasonably good, but I don't like that kind of character very much.
FWIW, I think she does a better job in this film than in The Hours, where she was the third best actress in the film and still somehow won an Oscar.
I like Zellwegger in several films (esp. Nurse Betty), but I think she overacts quite a bit with this role. Watching it right now, my first thought was "she's unconvincing as a Southern woman," which is a bit odd, considering that she _is_ a Southern woman. Her performance here has the taint of "Look at me! I'm acting! I'm sassy! I'm an eccentric character!" By way of comparison, Cathy Baker does a great job in Cold Mountain playing a role instead of drawing attention to herself.

[–] jemimakahn 13 years ago

For me, Nicole Kidman's finest performance was in 'The Others". She is very good. But she is over-rated.

[–] DavidTL 13 years ago

Wow, I'm impressed.
Usually people on here who hate the acting, hate the person as well.

It's nice that you like her as a person. But I like her. I think she is pretty good. Haha.

[–] mermaids-969-991627 13 years ago

Nicole unbelievably flattering makeup is what ruined the authenticity of the character for me. But she is a wonderful actress, comedy, drama, musical, all. I loved her in Bewitched actually, but she first blew me away in To Die For.

[–] DavidTL 13 years ago

She was great in To Die For. I liked her in Bewitched too. I know it wasn't the best movie in the world, but in some way it was kind of original how they decided to make a movie about making a new television show about Bewitched and in reality, she is actually a witch. Normally it would just be based literally on the TV show.

[–] Cassandra_Love 13 years ago

Havent seen this movie but cant resist replying to the conversation. I perfect understand if some beleive Kidman is a bad actor even if I don't agree. Personaly I hate seeing Meryl Streep acting. I think she always overplays. But most people don't think she does. I guess in the end it is just a matter about taste as for music, books etc.